Latest news and some of the things we have been doing over the past few months
Alan Cornforth our founder and instructor has retired, but as now started a not for profit Youth organization called the Adventure Pioneers and can also do all the things that Acor4th has been doing for groups and individuals. YOU CAN CONTACT THEM THROUGH THEIR WEB SITE www.adventurepioneers.uk or the usual way using our contact page. thank you.
Back at Myerscough again this time doing a camp craft course for the collage, I had a brilliant day and got through loads of thing including different camp fires an their usage, camp gadgets, site selection, health and safety, setting up a camp site, preparing, lighting and setting a camp fire amongst other things. once more the weather was god for us dispirit the bad forecast and every one enjoyed the day, I had nothing but good feed back and look forward to dong the next one.
Its soon come round again Myerscough College open day, on the Saturday I set up camp and prepared my stand for Sundays open day crowds, I like doing the open-day for the college because it gives me the opportunity of camping out the day before and its a lovely quiet and peaceful spot before every one arrives early the following morning. Its good to sit back and enjoy my fried breakfast amidst all the other people rushing about setting up. This year was even more busye than last year with lots of people interested in what I did and the courses I put on for the collage. this year I concentrated on doing some whittling and made a thumb stick with a carved snake on the top, my camp was another point of interest along with the usual debris shelter.
I have just done another Scout County Rally for west Lancashire with well over 150 scouts and leaders coming through the base this year, as with other years the emphases was on safe use of axe and knife, and fire lighting, but surprisingly lots of the Scouts wanted to have a go at whittling and to the astonishment of leaders during the two days I had scout queuing up to use my 15 knives whittling sticks into a variety of things from tent pegs to digging sticks, and some quite ornate ones at that with only one small cut to a scouts thumb during the two days.
As stated below we have started doing two more Outdoor Adventures Activity programs for two local Schools and have just completed lesson two. Its one of the things I enjoy doing teaching young people the beauty of doing things out doors and teaching them something completely new, and watching their faces light up when they discover there's something they can do that they never thought possible. most of the program is centered around teamwork. Something that will benefit all of them no matter what they decide to do in later life, as a young person you are expected to work in teams but no one ever teaches you properly how teams work, and the different stages a team goes through before it becomes a working team, we all solve problems, but how many people know the basic principals of solving problems as individuals or as a team?
Its been some time since I have put pen to paper so to speak so I though I had better do something about that. Things have been rumbling along in the background, its normal at this time of year to take stock of all your equipment, inspect, clean, and sharpen everything, also organize and set the dates for courses in the new year, and update everything. we have had some interesting correspondence regarding people who want help doing things within the bounds of backwoods/bushcraft, and we are following them up. I did another workshop for the Institute for Outdoor learning earlier in the year, and the first course at Myerscough Collage as come and gone, and arrangements have been made for our next Scouting workshop, the new course dates are now posted on the our course dates page. Two more Schools have booked for our Outdoor Adventures Activaty lessons and things are starting to pick up.
Well that's it, I have just finished week 5 the final lesson in my new schools adventures activity program, they all had a great time doing the orienteering competition round the school grounds, and all the teams managed to fined the 20 control points.
Everything's gone better than I imagined and all I need now is the thumbs up and hopefully more work to come in the new year, its been very rewording and I have enjoyed it just as much as the young people. I gave the winning team "the sonic squirrels" a small trophy for coming first, but it was a bit sad saying goodby
I have just done my first lesson for schools using my new program, with a class of 33, year 4 pupils, and everything went well, with both children and teachers enjoying it. The only thing I need to do, is get used, to working with 33 in a class, but nothing I cannot overcome. As with working with the Scouts I need to concentrate more on them working in small groups, rather than individuals right from the start. By the end of the lesson I had 6 working teams, all working well together and now I have a good foundation for the next part of the program. Part one of the program worked very well with nothing I haven't done before whilest teaching young people team building, I received lots of good feedback from both the teachers and pupils, and some good advice and help, all in all a good day, and I am looking forward to lesson 2.
Saturday was a day with Scout Leaders from all sections teaching them the use of axe, knife, and saw, plus laying and lighting a fire, and anything else I could help with. It was a grate turnout and the feed back was all positive. I am now thinking about what to put on next for the Leaders and Scouts.
On Friday I did another workshop for the IOL North West Practitioners Gathering + CPD Workshop Event In association with the National Trust at Low Wray Ambleside. The workshop was entitled Cooking by fire – How to lay and prepare the fire for your needs and simple cooking techniques. It was a brilliant day, the participants worked in three separate groups and prepared a small fire, on which they cooked trout in cabbage leaves, finishing off with baking camp bread.
A day at Myerscough open day
Last week I did another workshop at the Myerscough open day, I camped out the night before and set up a base camp using my parachute so I could have everything up and ready early the next morning.
This year I had to put it up in a smaller area in-between the trees, so to get over this I had to pitch it close to the ground something I have not done before and it worked out very well, reminding me of the many nights I have spent in a teepee. I had a very enjoyable day meeting lots of new people, giving out had made whistles, and showing some of the younger people how to use a fire steel.
It was also good to get the old Land Rover out again after all the work I have done to it over the past months.
I have just had a brilliant three days at West Lancashire Scouts County Rally, showing the scouts and leaders haw to use a knife, axe, and saw safely when building a fire with just one small lump of wood and a fire steal. the problem was I was that busy I had no time to take pictures of the Scouts.
I had another great day doing two short workshops for the Institute for Outdoor Learning, entitled an introduction to fire lighting, using an axe, knife, and natural tinder.
I started by showed them how to chop the wood safely, and how to use the knife to split wood and make shavings, followed by how and where the to lay a fire safely. having done this I demonstrated lighting a fire with a flint using birch bark as tinder.
In groups of three they were given a small log, a folding spade, a fire steel, some birch bark, and a knife each, It was a mixed day with some people being able to light a fire, and others finding using natural tinder on a cold, wet, windy, day harder than you think. But the things I wanted to get across was to show them how to teach young people to use a knife and axe safely, and that was a success with everyone paying particulate attention, lighting the fire in such bad conditions was a bones.
HI
Thank you so much for your session on basic fire lighting at the IOL conference on Friday.
I know that both Adam the Girls and myself had a great time and gained a lot more confidence in our own personal fire lighting skills.
The handy hints and tips also provided us with a great many more tools in order to be successful in lighting fires in wet windy conditions,
My personal achievement was lighting a fire with birch bark in the wet conditions a task i have never achieved before ,
Kind Regards
Chris Matthews
Course rep (Outdoor Studies)
MMU Cheshire
We started as usual with some basic health and safety and went strait into fire lighting, with me showing them the different ways of preparing and lighting a fire etc. using a fire-steel. next came putting up a basher and hammock concluding with them working as two teems and putting up a temporary shelter for themselves. Once they had a shelter up they all then had a go at lighting their own fire using a flint, with materials I had prepared for them, it wasn't long after we had seven fires burning, It was then time for lunch. After we talked about camp safety and a little bit more about shelters, before learning how to build an A frame, and the different lashings, and knots, needed to build a commando bridge. Then the fun really started they built two A frames/sheer legs and strung two ropes between them to use as a bridge to cross a imaginary river, everyone got across including me and the two Team Leaders with others crossing a number of times. We then went for a short walk to look at the some read deer, before packing up. once more I would like to thank all the young people and leaders for what was a wonderful day that I will remember for a long time.
On the Sunday I had a very nice family with two boys who wanted a day learning the basics of backwoods camping. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves setting up bashers, chopping wood, using knives and saws, lighting fires and backing bread, amongst other things. We also sheared our camp with that buzzard I mentioned the day before, well at least its roosting area. if you look at the picture on the right high up in the oak tree above the parachute you will see the remnants of a nest.
I had a bit of spare time over the weekend so having been inspired by something about whittling I had read, I decided to make myself a knife, fork, and spoon.
I cut myself a small branch of a sycamore tree I let grow in my garden some years ago. Sometimes I regret letting it grow and others I sit back and think what a beautiful tree, normally just before I clean the sap of my car, or pull out all the hundreds of little saplings trying to take over my garden, anyway that's another story. As you can see from the photos it makes some nice utensils, okay there's some small knots and a bit of sapwood showing but I only wanted to cut a small branch of, and besides I like the natural affect these thing make, take the shape and go with it.
We ended up spending all afternoon with Alan, learning new fire lighting skills, making nettle cordage, poncho shelters and of course brewing up a lot. The kids absolutely loved it (As did my Dad and I), drinking nettle tea, fire lighting and relaxing in hammocks.
Once again, many thanks Alan for a great afternoon.
Just some of the comments about the video,
Getting
a lot of responses to the video we did at the weekend. Just
passing on words of thanks to yourself from some of my subscribers.
"brilliant day out with the family there Mick and what a nice bloke the instructor is, thanks for sharing"
"Looks like a fantastic day out Mick. We need more people doing that sort of thing"
"cracking video Mick, Alan's carving skill is brilliant"
The other day was doing a backwoods camp craft one day course, everyone had a good day including me, building fires, setting up camp and bashers, and learning a number of camp skills and craft. What a difference a bit of good weather makes.
Two new land owners have also agreed to let us use their land for backwoods training and camping .
I have been approached to put on some more teacher training workshops later in the year , teaching pioneering, and backwoods camping.
We now have the dates for four more courses.
Another local school has shown an interest in our storey telling and outdoor learning.
We have just completed our new program for pond dipping, and nature trails, and are now ready to take bookings.
If you are interested in any of the things we have to offer or want some information about what we are doing in the forthcoming year, then use our contact page and see if we can help you?
Another weekend playing out and this time the weather was better, it only rained on me whilst setting up on the Friday night, and did it rain thunder and lightning, the lot, but never mined I was as snug as a bug in my hammock listening to the rain bouncing of my basher, and the noise of the river rushing past in the distance.
Up early in the morning, rekindle the fire and cook my breakfast, and prepare for my new influx of bushcrafters. I had another fantastic day playing out putting up improvised shelters, and practising the fundamentals of preparing and lighting a fire in the open, and finishing of with building a debris shelter and a trappers fire.
We have just completed two nights instruction in backwoods cooking and fire-lighting. the young people were given instruction in the safe use of axe and knife, preparing and lighting fires and cooking without utensils. they learnt to cook a number of different things including making bannock bread.
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